Turtle Ducks and Tiger Cubs
by the7thcaptain
Summary: When Zuko is sent off to Ba Sing Se to help on the Animal Reserve with his uncle for a year, he expects it to be a miserable time. Can some strange cubs and a blue eyed vet change that? (Modern AU, bending, smut, past parental abuse)
1. The Beginning

Chapter One

"Uncle, I'm sorry, but I just don't understand why my father is sending me here with you instead of bringing me on his important trip with him!" Zuko snapped.

Iroh raised a silver eyebrow at his shaggy haired nephew and chuckled before saying, "Zuko, your father makes this trip every few years. So, he took Azula this time, big deal. There will be other opportunities for you to go."

Scowling, Zuko answered, "I am the heir to Sozin Industries, I am the next in line to be the Fire Lord, everything is supposed to go to me. So forgive me Uncle, if I'm a little upset over him taking my sister instead." With this, Zuko dropped his head into his hands and groaned.

Sighing, Iroh hung his head. He opened his mouth to give some words of encouragement to his nephew, but a disembodied voice interrupted him before he could speak.

"Attention passengers, we are beginning our descent into the city of Ba Sing Se. Please fasten your seatbelts and remain in your seats until we have reached the gate."

Iroh turned his head to look out the window, the wall of Ba Sing Se looming beneath them. Sighing once more, he said, "It is only for a year, nephew. Who knows, perhaps you'll even end up enjoying your stay here." He turned hopefully towards the young man, and shook his head softly when he saw the headphones in his nephew's ears. "I wish there was something more I could do for you Zuko," he murmured.

Iroh's apartment wasn't anything too special. It was spacious and decorated simply. The furniture was nice, the view wasn't bad. And Zuko hated it. He hated that he was stuck in the Earth Kingdom for a whole year, stuck helping his uncle with his tea shop and working on the Ba Sing Se Animal Reserve that Sozin Industries was a major contributor for. He should be with his father right now, travelling around the Four Nations building relationships with their business partners, allies, political figures, meeting exotic women.

With that last thought, his mind wandered to Mai, his ex-girlfriend. He wondered what she was doing now. Pulling his phone out, he opened his messages and started typing.

_Hey, what are you doing?_

He held his breath as he waited, letting it out shakily as three bubbles appeared.

**_Bored. Same as always._**

Zuko rolled his eyes. Typical Mai. Part of the reason they split was her complete lack of emotion and constant boredom. Nothing ever seemed to interest her. He felt the urge to reach out to her dwindling quickly. He tossed his phone on the bed and sat down, running his hands through his hair. It wasn't long before Iroh knocked on the door.

"Zuko, are you in there?"

"Yeah, come in."

With that, Iroh poked his head in the room. "You should come with me, Zuko. I was just about to head down to the reserve! We can tour around the place, I think you'll be very impressed," Iroh said.

That was the last thing that Zuko wanted to do right now, but it had been so long since he'd seen his Uncle Iroh, and he knew he'd be disappointed if he didn't tag along. "Um, sure. Just let me grab a jacket." Zuko stood and grabbed his zip up with the Fire Nation emblem on it and out the door they went. Iroh's black town car waited outside, idling quietly. The drive to the reserve wasn't interesting, it wasn't like Zuko had never seen Ba Sing Se before. They pulled up to the gates, Iroh flashing security a friendly grin as they waved them through. They stopped in front of a building with a sign that read "Reserve Management". Two women waited outside, looking every bit like a stereotypical zookeeper. Tan button-down shirts, green cargo shorts, hiking boots. As they walked up, Zuko noticed that one was much older. They looked like they could be mother and daughter.

"Hello, Iroh! This must be your nephew," the younger woman chirped, smiling broadly at Zuko. Her gaze lingered on his face longer than he was comfortable with, no doubt she was staring at his left eye. A large burn scar stretched the expanse of his eye, eyebrow, and cheek all the way to his ear. His scowl deepened.

"Why, yes, Song. This is Zuko! Please, excuse my nephew's poor mood. He is less than happy to be here. But, not to worry, I'm sure he will warm up, especially with such lovely company," Iroh said, smiling warmly at the young woman. She blushed. "Not to cut our greeting short, but I thought I might take a cart and give him a tour?" The young woman nodded, running inside to grab a key, handing to Iroh before peeking up at Zuko once more.

"Here you go, if you need anything, let me know," Song offered, smiling at Zuko again. Zuko nodded politely, and off they went.

Zuko listened as politely as he could to Iroh's explanation of the reserve's history, how a young man and his wife had created it a few years back with earth bending to help the old zookeeper out, creating larger, better environments for the different wild creatures inside. They passed Rabbiroos, Tiger-dillos, Saber Tooth Moose Lions, Hog Monkeys, and all other kinds of species. Iroh rambled off the odd fact about the different animals, and Zuko would nod and say, "That's interesting Uncle." His phone buzzed, and he glanced down.

Mai.

**_So you're just going to reach out, and then not respond when I answer?_**

He didn't have time for this right now.

_Sorry, just got to Ba Sing Se and am with my uncle. I'll message you later._

He hit the power button and turned the phone off. He hadn't even realized they were back where they started, dusk approaching rapidly.

"Well, Zuko? What did you think of the place?" Iroh asked eagerly. He was met with a shrug.

"It's alright, I suppose. Nothing I haven't seen before Uncle. We used to go to that crappy old zoo every time we visited Ba Sing Se, remember?"

Iroh scoffed, responding with, "Maybe so, but now the animals are much happier! It's much different than the visits of your youth." Zuko rolled his eyes.

"Whatever you say, Uncle. Can we go back to your apartment now? I'm exhausted and want to eat and go to sleep," Zuko groaned. Iroh chuckled, nodding in agreement.

"Yes, it has been a long day. Come on, the car is parked around back."

By the time they got home, Zuko was barely able to keep his eyes open, shoving a few bites of komodo chicken into his mouth before muttering a good night to his uncle. Sleep found him almost as soon as he hit the mattress, and fell into a deep, dreamless sleep.


	2. New Horizons

Two figures shivered under the dim lights of the South Pole Airport, looking inside at the empty ticket counters. Snowflakes fell through the early morning sky, the sun barely peeking over the ocean horizon.

"Well little sis, are you nervous?" Sokka asked, pulling his neck warmer up slightly.

Katara turned her face back towards him, flashing a wide grin back at her brother before saying, "Actually, Sokka, I'm more excited than anything. I still can't believe they chose me for the externship program at the biggest zoo in Ba Sing Se, and probably the entire Four Nations at that!"

Sokka returned her smile, before adopting a more serious tone. "Well, I'm happy and proud of you little sister. But listen here, stay away from those Earth Benders! They're all jerks, Katara! Big, dumb, rock -throwing jerks!" he exclaimed, throwing his arms in the air for emphasis.

Katara laughed at her wild eyed brother, before mussing up the wolf-tail he wore his hair in. "Sokka, you think every guy who even _breathes_ in my direction is a jerk," she chuckled.

Sokka turned his nose up, crossing his arms and giving her a big hmmph! "That's because they are!" he stated, indignant that his baby sister was ignoring his sage advice. This was met with another laugh from Katara.

"Okay, Sokka. I'll stay away from those "big dumb rock-tossers". Give me a hug, I've got a plane to catch!"

"It's rock-_throwers_, Katara! And okay, come here," he grumbled, pulling her into a tight hug. "I'm gonna miss you so much," he whispered. Uh oh, Katara felt the tears coming on. She sniffled as she clung to her brother's parka.

"I'm gonna miss you too," she murmured before pulling away. Grabbing her bags, she waved and said, "Give Gran Gran and dad and big hug for me! Call, text, write, anything, anytime. I love you." She hurried inside out of the cold, watching her brother's old truck drive away. Letting out a deep breath, she squared her shoulders and started walking towards her gate.

"Last call for flight 732, heading to Ba Sing Se," an overhead voice rang.

Shit, she thought. Katara took off running towards the gate, shouting, "Wait!" Out of breath, ticket in hand, she stopped with a huff in front of the attendant.

"Just in time Miss… Snow," the stewardess smiled at her, taking her ticket. "Enjoy your flight!"

"Thank you," Katara breathed, hurrying down onto the plane. She found herself seated next to a younger married couple. Stuffing her thick fur parka into the overhead, she plopped down into her seat. Glancing over, she noticed the man had a giant blue arrow tattooed on his bald head. He turned and caught her staring, and Katara quickly apologized. "I'm sorry, I've just never seen an Air Bender before," she admitted sheepishly.

"That's alright!" the young man laughed, "I get it all the time. The Air Benders are still a very private people, even in these modern times. Most don't stray far from the ancient air temples. Anyway, my name is Aang, and this is my wife, Toph," he gestured to a petite woman with black hair beside him. Katara smiled pleasantly at the two.

The small woman spoke up, saying, "If it makes you feel any better, I've never seen an Air Bender either." She had a smirk playing on her lips.

Aang burst into laughter, Toph soon following. Katara's brow furrowed in confusion.

"I'm sorry, I don't understand the joke," Katara told them. The couple took a moment to collect themselves, before Aang managed to speak.

"Oh, excuse us, my wife is blind," he said, wiping tears of laughter from his eyes, giggling to himself again. "She loves to joke about it."

Katara's jaw dropped, before she stammered out, "O-oh, I'm so sorry to hear that!"

Toph turned to her, milky eyes staring ahead blankly. "Listen, Sugar Queen, I don't need any pity. I can see just fine using my bending," she explained.

"Wow, really? That's amazing! Sometimes I feel like I can feel things more clearly when I'm near the water, but I guess that's not exactly the same thing," Katara admitted.

"Yeah, not really," came Toph's response, followed by a shrug, "but oh well!"

"Anyway, are you heading to Ba Sing Se directly, or just a connecting flight? Business trip, or pleasure?" Aang asked.

Katara let out a breath of air before answering, "A bit of both, I suppose. I accepted a position for a vet med externship at the Ba Sing Se Animal Reserve."

Aang's eyes lit up as he looked excitedly at Toph before turning back to Katara. "You must be Katara!" he said happily, an ear to ear grin appearing on his face.

Raising an eyebrow, Katara responded suspiciously, "Um, yes? How did you know my name?"

Grin unwavering, Aang replied, "Well, Toph and I created that sanctuary together!"

Katara's jaw dropped… again. "Seriously?! Oh my… I can't believe I ended up seated next to me future bosses," she gushed.

Toph's voice piped in with, "Hey now, Sweetness, watch the 'b' word. Aang and I treat it more like a family than a business. Just consider us your new friends and colleagues!"

"Well, I'm very excited to do my externship there," Katara said, smiling broadly at the two.

"We're excited to have you, Katara," Aang said, returning her smile before turning to his wife once more. Katara took this as a cue to put her headphones in and get some rest.

Katara had done plenty of research on the reserve before coming, but she was still blown away when she arrived. It was massive, with beautiful, clean exhibits, and so many species of animals. She even saw some Penguin-Otters from her nation in a polar habitat, waddling and playing about. She met a very nice keeper, her age too, named Song, who showed her to the room she'd be staying in for the year. It wasn't much, but it was enough for her.

"You can even have a pet, too, if you want," Song told her as she helped Katara unpack.

"Really? That would be nice to have some company. Are there any pet shops or rescues around here?" she asked, smoothing out her comforter onto her new bed.

Song nodded, standing up straight from the bag she'd just put down. "Yes, there's a few nearby here. I can show you around tomorrow, and then maybe we could go out for a night on the town! It's been awhile since I've gotten out, might as well show you around a bit."

Katara smiled, "Sure, I'd really like that. If you don't mind though, I think I'd better get some rest. This time change really took it out of me," she admitted. Song nodded in understanding.

"Of course. I'll see you tomorrow morning to show you around the reserve and introduce you to the head veterinarian you'll be working with. After that, we can head out into the city," Song said, before saying her goodnight's and heading out the door. Katara flopped down onto her bed and fell asleep quickly, dreaming of home and Gran Gran's sea prune stew.


	3. Owl Cats and New Friends

Katara woke up feeling like she'd been hit by a truck. She'd tossed and turned the last few hours, unaccustomed to her new time zone. Slipping out of her bed and shucking off her clothes from yesterday, she began digging through her bags to find something suitable to wear. _I'm not going to be actually working today_, she thought, _but I suppose I might as well wear something suitable just in case_.

Tugging on a blue tank top and some old jeans and a pair of hiking boots, she pulled her thick hair into a braid and walked to the little bathroom attached to her room. Putting on a touch of mascara, she went back out and grabbed her phone, dialing her dad's number. It rang twice before a familiar voice greeted her.

"Katara, I was wondering when I'd hear from you," Hakoda's warm voice sounded on the other end of the line. "How is everything, are you settling in well?"

Katara smiled, she already missed home so much. "Sorry I didn't call last night, I was exhausted. But yes, so far, I'm settling in well. There's a nice girl here my age who I think I'm getting drinks with tonight. It's warm here, I'm almost not sure if I packed cool enough clothes," she admitted.

Hakoda laughed, "I told you it would be warm in the Earth Kingdom, even if it is January. I'm glad that you're already making friends, though I wasn't worried about that to begin with." There was a pause on the other line, before he said, "Your mother would be very proud of you Katara."

"Thank you, dad," Katara murmured, feeling the tears well up again, "I hope somewhere she's keeping an eye on me."

"Well, I won't keep you on the phone much longer, dear. Bato and I are getting ready to go out hunting, I'll send you some blubbered seal jerky if we bring something home," he answered. Katara wished him luck and they exchanged goodbyes before hanging up. Almost as if on cue, there was a knock at the door and Song's voice sounded on the other side.

"Hey, Kat! You up yet?" Katara opened the door to see Song, one hand raised as if to knock again. "Oh, that's a yes then!" she said, smiling. "Are you ready to meet the vet and look around the reserve a bit?" Song asked.

Katara nodded, returning her smile. "Of course! I hope I'm dressed appropriately," she said, "I wasn't sure how much we'd be doing today."

"Oh, that'll be fine," Song said, "but don't you want a jacket or something?" she asked.

Katara laughed and replied, "In case you didn't know, I'm from the South Pole. I find it to be very warm here." Song blushed, apologizing with a sheepish smile, and out they went into the 'cold' morning.

It was a short walk to the Reserve Management building, and Katara and Song spent it asking little questions of each other here and there, each girl getting a feel for the other.

"So, you guys actually would ride the Penguin-Otters?" Song asked, laughing in disbelief.

Katara chuckled and nodded yes. "To tell you the truth," she began, "I think they enjoyed it as much as we did." Song shook her head, a broad smile on her face.

"Anyway," Song said, looking at the door, "are you ready to meet the vet?" She got a nod and opened the door.

Katara stepped into the spacious front room and stopped in surprise at who she found inside.

Song peeked around her, looking at Katara concernedly, and back to the vet with a happy expression on his face. "Have you met Dr. Tatkret?" she asked.

Katara grinned at her before shouting, "Pakku!" and embracing the man tightly. "How have you been? Gran Gran said you were in the Earth Kingdom, but I didn't expect you to be here!"

Pakku returned her embrace, smiling as he answered, "I've been well, Katara. I'm pleased to see you as well. I take it you're going to be my student once again?" A sly grin donned his face.

Katara's grin grew wider, "Yes sir, looks like it!" Turning back to Song, Katara explained, "Pakku is kind of like a grandpa to me. I used to follow him around at the Wildlife Center in the North Pole when we would visit and help him doctor the injured animals, he got me interested in vet school."

Song nodded in understanding and let the two exchange a few pleasantries before deciding on when she would need to be here in the morning for her real first day. The rest of the morning was spent exploring the reserve, Katara asking questions here and there about some of the more exotic animals, making small talk with Song. It wasn't long before they were back and changing vehicles to head into the city.

"So, have you figured out what kind of pet you're gonna get?" Song asked as they parked in front of the rescue. Katara shook her head in response.

"Not quite," Katara answered, "but I'll know it when I see it!" Walking in the big swinging doors, a cacophony of noises greeted them, animals of all sorts wriggling around in their pens, trying to say hello to their potential new owner. Slowly walking through the building, she cooed and made sure to say hello to everyone, before coming to a stop at an one-cat quietly studying her. Katara spent a moment smiling back at the creature before letting the employee know she wanted this one.

"Really? That's great! She's been waiting for a home for a long time," he said, grabbing a bag of feed and a kennel and bringing it up to a register. Katara went and grabbed some bowls and toys and followed him, paying for the supplies and adoption fees before her and Song shuffled everything back out to her jeep.

"She sure is pretty, Kat!" Song remarked as they drove back to the reserve.

Nodding in agreement, Katara answered, "That's for sure. Now to figure out what to name her." The owl-cat gave a soft hoot and purred, curled up in Katara's lap. She decided she'd wait a few days to name her, just until she could get a good feel for the animal. Back at the reserve, Song excused herself for afternoon feedings and let Katara know that she'd be back in a couple hours to get her for a night out in the city.

"Well, my girl, I hope it's not too cliché," Katara said to her new pet, yawning mid sentence, "but what do you say we take a little cat nap?" As if agreeing, the owl-cat jumped onto Katara's bed and curled up. "Well, you don't have to tell me twice," she chuckled, climbing into bed and falling asleep fast


	4. Update!

**Quick Update***

Chapter 4 is on the way soon! I've been very busy with a job change and house move and haven't had much time to sit and write, but I am trucking through and should hopefully have something by the end of the weekend.

Thanks for reading!


	5. Chapter 5

Zuko woke the next morning to the smell of eggs and bacon, and his uncle's jovial humming along to the radio. Emerging slowly from his room clad in his college sweatshirt and sweat pants, Zuko plopped down at the table and texted Mai.

_Hey, sorry about last night. Just wanted to see how you are, I guess._

"Good morning. How did you sleep, Zuko?" came Iroh's voice.

"Like the dead," Zuko chuckled, his mood brightened by the smell of food. Miserable as he was to be here, he hadn't really eaten much yesterday, and this morning his stomach was keen on making him aware of this.

"Breakfast should be ready soon," Iroh said, "And once we are finished eating, I think we should head to the reserve, eh?"

Zuko's mood fell. The reserve. The reminder that he was stuck in Ba Sing Se while his sister got to go steal his glory from their father. "Do we _really_ have to uncle," he sighed. He was answered with a chuckle.

"Zuko, I know you wish you were somewhere else, but you may as well take what you have and make the most of it," Iroh advised as he set a bowl of food in front of his nephew. Zuko brooded throughout breakfast, trying to figure out exactly how he could make the most out of his crap situation. Maybe he'd ask that girl at the reserve out, boost his confidence and maybe get a rise out of Mai as well. Almost as if on cue, his phone buzzed.

_**I'm fine… I miss you, Zuko. I'm sorry for what I did.**_

Zuko gave a low groan, the memory of Mai kissing Ruon-Jian leaping unbidden into his mind. He had been so furious with her, he was still furious with her. But he had to confess he missed her too, or at least, the comfort of their relationship. They knew each other's weak points and fed off of them, their negativity their main bond. He knew he couldn't keep doing this, going back and forth with her constantly, pretending not to know she still slips off to see her lover whenever she can.

_I know. But Mai, I can't keep doing this. We can't keep doing this. I shouldn't have messaged you, I'm sorry._

He turned the buzzer off and resolved not to check it until they returned from the reserve. He was not in any mood to deal with the shit-storm he was sure was coming after that response. He excused himself from the table and went to get dressed. He returned wearing his zip-up, jeans, and boots and followed his eager uncle out of the door.

As they drove to the reserve, Iroh hummed along to the radio once more, commenting little things about the shops they passed. Zuko 'mmh'ed and nodded when appropriate, and then a thought came to him that had been popping in and out of his mind since they got there.

"Uncle, don't you own a successful tea shop? Why exactly do you come down here instead to push a tea cart all day when you could lounge in your office at the Jasmine Dragon?" he asked. Iroh scoffed at him.

"You have much to learn nephew. For one, I am old, and I find that too much lounging makes my body softer than it already is," Iroh chuckled. "Two, the fresh air is good for you Zuko!"

It was Zuko's turn to scoff. "Uncle, it smells like animal shit," he said seriously, his cheeks turning red as Iroh just laughed at him.

"I think," Iroh said, wiping a tear from his eye as he came down from his laughter, "that you will learn to become accustomed to it, Zuko. Besides, I hear that a very pretty vet student arrived today, perhaps you will meet her." A suggestive gleam had entered Iroh's eye as he winked at Zuko. Zuko rolled his eyes in response.

"Yeah, sure, okay Uncle," Zuko chuckled, waving him off as they pulled into the reserve and parked. The late morning sun hung high in the sky as Zuko helped his Uncle pull the cart around the reserve. It was almost 2 when they circled around to the main building, where Song was waiting for them.

"Hey, Zuko! I was hoping to see you today!" Song said, beaming up at Zuko and batting her long eyelashes at him. Zuko chuckled, a little uncomfortably, and waved at her.

"Hello, Song, how are you?" he asked. Mentally smacking himself in the forehead, he wondered where the Zuko from this morning had gone, so confident to ask her out. _But that was when you were thinking of taunting your cheating ex_ his brain reminded him. He didn't really find himself attracted to her, pretty as she was. She seemed a little too peppy for his tastes, at least in his own opinion, one that he considered fairly important. Luckily for him, he didn't even need to ask.

"I'm doing well," Song replied, smiling up at him. "Listen," she continued, "We got a new extern for our veterinary program and I said I'd take her out on the town tonight. I figured since, you know, you're kinda new to town too, maybe you'd like to come with?" she asked, twisting her hands together nervously and flushing. "Not as a date, or anything," she added quickly at his look of uncertainty, "just to see some spots around town you might like."

Zuko looked back at his uncle, who was giving him two big thumbs up, and turned back to her. "Um, sure, I guess. What time are you thinking?" he asked.

Song's face lit up, "7 o' clock, there's a bar two blocks down called the Earthquake, it's got a sign with the name in big, lit-up letters out front, you can't miss it," she told him. "Dress casual, it's definitely nothing special. But anyway, I've got to get going. I have to go finish feeding everyone before I go get our new gal." She left them with a wave, climbing into her cart and heading down the pathway.

Iroh nudged Zuko, grinning. "Well, nephew, that should be fun!"

Zuko scratched the back of his head, taking a deep breath in. Well, he'd see about that. The rest of the day went by slowly. Around 6:45, Zuko walked towards the bar, wearing the same clothes he'd worn for the day. He arrived just before 7, and as he opened the door to the bar, the sounds of music and laughter reached his ear. For nothing special, it was definitely a packed joint. The tables were all full, and Zuko instantly regretted being early. He hated having to stand around like a jackass in a full bar by himself. Thankfully, he heard a familiar voice. "Zuko, over here!" Song waved him over to a table. He walked up and noticed two others at the table. A shaggy haired man with a toothpick hanging out of his mouth gave him a nod and a smirk.

"The Zuko Sozin, in the flesh," the man said, extending a hand. Zuko grasped the hand and nodded.

"Well, I'm glad you already know me, but I unfortunately can't say the same," Zuko said.

The man grinned, "Jet," he said simply. No last name, all right. And it was then that Zuko noticed the other woman sitting at the table, and he had to fight to keep his jaw off the floor.

His uncle was right, the new vet extern is a very pretty girl.


End file.
